OPERATIONS DIVISION
The Operations Division comprises of the Departments of Operations, Maintenance and Technical Services.
Main Function
The Division’s main function is providing supervision of the importation, distribution and retailing of petroleum products to government ministries and agencies; business entities and the consumer public.
The Division performs most of its activities through the Oil Movement & Supply Section, which is responsible for discharging vessels and ensuring that products are safely stored and appropriately handled.
IMPORTATION
Importation during 2014 increase by 48,184 Metric Tons or 15% over 2013, from 316,643 Metric Tons to 360,920 Metric Tons. The introduction of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), on the Petroleum Market and the commissioning of the two newly constructed storage tanks of approximately six Million gallons capacity is expected to further contribute to volume increment. Therefore, we are conservatively projecting volume importation of 380,355 Metric Tons for Fiscal Year 2015/2016. This projection represents 19,435 Metric Tons or 5% increased over last year.
Total annual importation of petroleum products (MT) over 4 years
Total annual importation of petroleum products (MT) of 2014
DISTRIBUTION
LPRC has encouraged Liberians and foreign investors to invest in the importation of petroleum products – Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) – as a means of creating a middle-class society. Presently, there are nine registered importers who ensure that adequate petroleum products are on the Liberian market. They are: West Oil, Total Liberia Ltd., Aminata & Sons, National Petroleum, Srimex Enterprise, Conex Petroleum, Petro Trade, Lib-Afric and Monrovia Oil Trading Corporation (MOTC). These are our partners whose cooperation with LPRC for efficient product delivery has been outstanding over the years.
Twenty-two Liberian-owned companies are registered with LPRC for distributing petroleum products on the Liberian market. They are key partners who play an important role in ensuring that sufficient products are sold to retailers.
Distribution of PMS, AGO and JET-A1 in 2014
RETAILING
The supply chain of LPRC’s marketing ensures that its operations are unhindered in the safe delivery of petroleum products on the Liberian market. . LPRC ensures that products are efficiently and sufficiently supplied by retailers directly to the retail market. The Company also ensures that retailers comply with our standards for retail facilities. As a result, our retail partners are constructing modern service facilities across the country.
In 2013, there were few changes in the price of Crude oil on the world market which caused movement in the pricing of refined products locally. We experienced an increase in prices during the first couple of months of the year which trended down in the second quarter and half of the year when prices began to decrease for both gasoline and diesel fuel.
In 2014, price fluctuation continued for PMS and AGO. Even during the mid year when the Ebola pandemic was prevalent, prices fluctuation continued and; however, dropped during the latter part of the 2014 year to its lowest with the Retail Price of PMS, AGO and KERO/JETFUEL remaining at US$ 3.81, US$ 3.86 and US$ 4.68 respectively.
Technology
The MIS department is responsible for designing, developing, implementing, and supporting all computer-based information systems, particularly business solutions that contribute to the growth and financial accountability of the company. Its hosting environment is built on the Microsoft Windows platform that combines the appropriate Microsoft technologies for providing reliable and scalable solutions.
The MIS Department’s activities are categorized into two broad areas, and they are the business and technology initiatives.
During 2014, LPRC concluded its agreement with LIBTELCO for the delivery of internet services to her facility. LIBTELCO Fiber Optic Broadband Connectivity - (4 GB Bandwidth) is the latest addition to LPRC’s IT Infrastructure LPRC now have the capacity to transmit voice, data, and video over the intranet and internet at amazing speeds.
In addition to services provided, MIS also supervise the provision of collaborative and adaptive solutions for departments and sections geared towards developing an enabling environment for productivity. Staff of the department have benefited from numerous training opportunities geared toward the effective management of the system and its services.
